417 Blackstone Dr
San Rafael, Marin County, 94903 - The Mize Family
Mickey Mouse Christmas House in San Rafael has been chosen for the ABC reality
show called The Great Christmas Light Fight. They are one of 20 families competing for a $50,000 grand prize. For 44 years Les and Patty Mize have turned their house into an annual Christmas display. Dubbed, the Mickey Mouse Christmas House for its huge display of Disney memorabilia, and features over 200,000 lights.

352 Hillcrest Ave. Livermore, Alameda County, 94550 - For more than 30 years, Deacon Dave's house has been the largest display of lights in the Bay Area. This year, its adorned with over 372,250 Lights. Lines to see the display can be over an hour on busy days before Christmas. Plan accordingly.

467 Knottingham Cir. Livermore, Alameda County, 94551 - This display is a mixture of old school and modern lighting. including several dozen old-fashioned blow-mold snowmen and Santas mixed in with the latest in LED lighting and technology. An old fashioned "one-horse-open-sleigh", green and red runway lights on the roof help Santa land at the "right" house, hand built and painted Nativity scene greet you.

200 Arboleda Dr. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, 95401 - This display has been a work in progress for over 36 years and includes many animated elves, snowmen, animals, a Santa Claus with his reindeer, and a miniature railroad. The characters are all homemade and are brought to life using 12 volt windshield-wiper motors (mainly Ford). Thousands of lights outline the house and yard, music plays, and occasionally "snow" will fall. Be sure to take a close look around, as there several items hidden including pop-culture nods, a real 1.5 foot snowman, and more!

2192 Penny Ln. Napa, Napa County, 94559 - Burning enough lights (30,000 plus!) to power Paris for a month, this house has every conceivable element in a dense, blinding display. They also have a life size Mr. & Mrs. Claus that stands in front of their front door (animated). They are out every night except when it rains. A 17-year tradition at this address. Speakers are mounted around the property with piped-in music.

2387 Adele Ave. Mountain View, Santa Clara County, 94043 - A train extravaganza so popular that second and third generations of families are coming back to this house! Six tracks run on a platform, across the lawn, in and out of the front window. Trains run 6:30 pm to 9pm Tuesday - Sunday, weather permitting

975 Estudillo Ave
San Leandro, Alameda County, 94577 - Snoopy on a mission to deliver toys for Christmas. This home made triplane is made out entirely of recycable materials like chicken wire and paper mache. It contains about 750 empty water bottles.

17843 Andrews Ave
Monte Sereno, Santa Clara County, 95030 - Hours - 6 PM to 11PM. Full size sleigh and train. Display - Large Santa and Sleigh with reindeer, manger scenes, and other light up figures. The additions to this years display are lights that dance to Christmas music and a large blow-up of Pooh and friends.

3650 21st St. San Francisco, San Francisco County, 94114 - The "Tom and Jerry House" on the steep incline of Castro Hill in San Francisco is a little gingerbread Victorian, dwarfed by a 65-foot-high tree covered in lights and surrounded by gift-wrapped boxes.The display is meant to embody the Holiday Spirit for all who choose to view it. Santa makes an appearance almost nightly before Christmas Eve.

Photo: Lightsofthevalley.com

3650 21st St. San Francisco, San Francisco County, 94114 - The "Tom...

120 Benedict Ct. Martinez, Contra Costa County, 94553 - The window display at this house consists of animated figures the owner has been collecting for years. The yard display has a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel and numerous other lighted figures.

3701 Kenwood Ave. San Mateo, San Mateo County, 94403 - A tropical Christmas with surfing Snoopy, palm trees, flamingos and jumping dolphins on a sea of blue net lights. The 45-foot-tall cedar in the yard has 48,000 lights.

38643 Glencoe Dr. Fremont, Alameda County, 94536 - The Gonzales family has captured the pageantry of Christmas with several animated dioramas. One diorama has a mechanical polar bear singing Christmas songs, backed up by a band of panda bears and other instrument-wielding animals. There's also a Ferris wheel with popular cartoon characters and a Santa's workshop with a bearded mouse inside.
To enjoy the experience of the animated characters as they are activated by sensors and will sing and dance as you walk by, you may if you wish to, take a walk along the pathway of the displays. Also a 6-foot animated Grinch has been added.

1963 Eucalyptus Ave. San Carlos, San Mateo County, 94070 - This house is one of many creating a walking neighborhood display. For two blocks, neighbors decorate their houses, making for a nice holiday stroll, especially on weekends when many homeowners sit outside their homes and explain their displays to visitors.

1190 Cielo Cir
Rohnert Park, Sonoma County, 94928 - Words cannot describe this Disneyland-like, majestic, magnificent, hand-carved castle nestled on Cielo Court in Rohnert Park. The details are endless as are the Disney characters displayed. Dalmatians align the yard, along with a flowing water fall where Surf's Up and South Park is keeping watch on the roof. At the very top of the roof is a star complete with Santa's sleigh and eight reindeer.

Picardy Drive, Oakland, Alameda County, 94605 - The hundred or so residents of Picardy Drive in East Oakland illuminate their Tudor-style houses with an unbroken string of lights, in a holiday tradition that dates back nearly 80 years. The display is meant to symbolize warmth, friendship and unity.

1683 Catalonia Way San Jose, Santa Clara County, 95125 - A 25 foot tall Christmas tree of lights, suspended from the limb of an 80-year old sycamore tree. Each of the tree's 3200 lights can change into one of 4096 colors. The light show is choreographed to music and the music is transmitted to 92.9 FM.

876 St John Cir. Concord, Contra Costa County, 94518 - This house has been decorated for several years with the Nightmare Before Christmas scheme. The Holiday display is hand-painted with great detail and lit from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly.

501 Woodside Ct. South San Francisco, San Mateo County, 94080 - This court is in the middle of a two-block area (Treeside / Woodside) that is called Parkway Estates. It is well known in South San Francisco for its decorations. Nearby, more than a hundred single-family homes are decorated for the holiday season.

646 Zermatt St. Livermore, Alameda County, 94551 - The lights have 128 independently controlled channels that make over 40,000 Christmas lights, flood lights, four 20 ft Water Cannons, a 25 ft. long waterfall, and two trees dancing in sync to the music. Viewers wishing to share in the magic need simply to drive up, tune to the posted radio station and enjoy their own personal light show with friends and family. Runs Nightly from 6-10:30 p.m..

383 Quietwood Dr. San Rafael, Marin County, 94903 - For the 32nd year, this holiday display features six G scale trains on 300 feet of track on four layouts. There are also plenty of animations, including a bear blowing bubbles.

78 Kilkenny Place, Alameda, Alameda County, 94502 - This display is known as "Reflections of Christmas". The Lighting display is best viewed from the rear of the house where it is reflected in a lagoon. Drive or walk across the lagoon on Auginbaugh Way near cross street Mecartney Road.

Espada Ct. Fremont, Alameda County, 94539 - An 18-year tradition, this house with vVctorian figurines is part of a "Walking Neighborhood". There are a number of well-decorated homes in the immediate vicinity.

1716 to 1881 Fulton Ave Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, 94303 - Since 1940, the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Fulton Ave. have been known as "Christmas Tree Lane" with each house on the street decorated. Each house also has matching live Christmas trees lining the street, each lit with colored lights. From Saturday, December 14, 2013, through December 31, Christmas Tree Lane is lighted each night from 5:00 p.m. to 11 p.m.